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Vehicle Health Checks Explained

Find out exactly what a complementary JCT600 Vehicle Health Check involves and get answers to some of the most common questions our customers ask.

Vehicle Health Checks Explained

Find out exactly what a complementary JCT600 Vehicle Health Check involves and get answers to some of the most common questions our customers ask.

What is a Vehicle Health Check?

A Vehicle Health Check (VHC), also referred to as a visual health check or electronic health check, is a complimentary check of your car’s components, carried out by a qualified technician.

A ‘traffic light system’ is used on each of the different checkpoints to report whether your vehicle is:

Green: Safe and good to go

Amber: Recommended work is required but not urgent

Red: Requires urgent attention

No work will be done on your vehicle without first asking for your permission, the VHC is there to simply check the health of your car and provide you with relevant advice. The decision to have maintenance or repair done at one of our dealerships is completely up to you. In most cases, our customers choose for us to do the work while the vehicle is in our care.

Are Vehicle Health Checks mandatory?

VHCs are not mandatory.

It is typically carried out alongside a repair, service or MOT and is an extra service offered by us free of charge. As experts in vehicle maintenance, we see it as our duty of care to check your vehicle’s safety while our skilled technicians are working on it, giving us all peace of mind that your vehicle is safe and legal for the road.

What’s included in a Vehicle Health Check?

A VHC includes checks on the following things:

  • Brakes
  • Tyres
  • Lights
  • Fluid Levels
  • Exhaust
  • Steering
  • Suspension
  • Electrical

The checkpoints will be listed in a report, as well as a short video which will be sent to you explaining what has been checked during the VHC. If any amber or red components have been identified, this will also include the technician’s recommendations for what to do next.

How long does a Vehicle Health Check take?

A VHC typically takes 15-20 minutes to complete.

How much does a Vehicle Health Check cost?

VHCs is a service offered free of charge.

What brands do we offer Vehicle Health Checks for?

We will do a VHC on any make or model.

If a Vehicle Health Checkpoint is red, will you carry out repair work that day?

If a red checkpoint has been identified during the VHC and we have been given your permission to carry out the repair work, we will do everything we can to get this done on the same day for you.

Most vehicle parts are available within our workshops. However, when a part is not readily available, we will order this as soon as we can, usually for next-day delivery. In this instance, it is recommended that you leave the car with us until this arrives. Each of our dealerships has a number of courtesy cars available on request, and where one is not available, we will also do our best to offer a lift/collection service.

Can I get a free Vehicle Health Check, even if I am not a JCT600 customer?

Yes, anyone can book a free VHC with us.

If you would like to make a booking for your complimentary VHC today, you can do this online by selecting ‘Vehicle Health Check FREE’ in step 2 of the form or by contacting your preferred JCT600 dealership.

Associated with

  • Ben Logo
  • Santander Logo
  • BVRLA Logo
  • MotoNovo Logo
  • Motor Ombudsman Logo
  • Top Track 100 Logo
  • Premia Solutions Logo
  • Solera CAP HPI Logo

Representative finance example: Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)

Representative APR%
9.90% APR 
First Payment
£249.71
46 Monthly
payments of
£249.71
Optional final
payment
£9,090.00
On the road
price
£20,000.00
Term of
agreement
48 months
Customer deposit
£4,000.00
Amount of credit
£16,000.00
Cost of credit
£4,826.37
Annual mileage
5,000
Excess mileage
8.4p
Total amount
payable
£24,836.37
Fixed rate of
interest
9.90%